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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — in sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — clothes
  18. last — final
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — to sit on

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