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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fine — high quality
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — all right
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a word

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