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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ground — the earth
  3. band — a ring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spring — of water
  10. ground — a position
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a music group
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — crushed
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a rubber band

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