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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — the fruit
  9. scale — in music
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — to cool the air

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