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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a great time
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — high quality
  24. shower — rain

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