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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — a tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — in sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. suit — to fit

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