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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. track — a path
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. sharp — exactly

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