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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. last — finally
  3. pop — soda
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. fall — the season
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — for 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