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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. net — for catching
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — a short time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — a match

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