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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — a partner
  6. court — of a king
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — to breed
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. track — a song
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. track — a path

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