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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. toast — bread
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — clever
  13. staff — a stick
  14. file — a document
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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