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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 · chair · rock · bulb · staff · fan · stand · bore

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chair — a leader
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — for light

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