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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. club — for golf
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — a division
  23. chip — to eat
  24. club — for dancing

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