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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · bat · drill · chair · roll · chip · foot

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. roll — a cake
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bat — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chip — to eat
  24. land — a country

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