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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — of a word
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — in sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. sharp — clever

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