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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — a path
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — for betting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — child
  22. rest — a break
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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