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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wake — a trail
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — government
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. swing — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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