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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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