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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — high quality
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — to eat
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chip — for betting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — the fish
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chip — in a computer

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