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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — for a lock
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — to eat
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cell — a phone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — in music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fan — a supporter

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