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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: land · nail · chair · bowl · staff · roll · pound · chip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — a cake
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. roll — a list
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — a leader
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — on a roll

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