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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ball — a dance
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — a gift
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — the time now
  20. suit — to fit
  21. present — there
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bat — in an idiom

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