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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chip · court · rest · wave · bowl · chair · can · march

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — to be able to
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of a king
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a leader
  20. court — for sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bowl — a football final

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