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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. object — a thing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chip — for betting

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