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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chair — a leader
  12. last — finally
  13. toast — bread
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com