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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a signal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — happy
  20. chip — for betting
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — a container

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