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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — a committee
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — child
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a great time

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