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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: chip · staff · pound · ball · lean · present · chair · pass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — a gift
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — the time now
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a dance
  24. present — there

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