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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a leader
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — a series

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