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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mine — for digging
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — for betting
  22. firm — a company
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mine — belonging to me

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