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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. present — the time now
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — a tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chip — to eat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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