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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — for betting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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