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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — soda
  8. capital — money
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — a city
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lean — thin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. drill — a practice

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