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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — a trail
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a path
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mine — for digging

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