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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — a grade
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. deal — to handle
  11. swing — to play on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. capital — a city
  19. chip — for betting
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — clever
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. capital — money

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