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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · hide · chip · mark · roll · game

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a list
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. game — a match
  18. roll — a cake

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