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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pop — soda
  5. hand — help
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — for betting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pop — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — a weight
  24. key — 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