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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — to bear
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — to be able to
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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