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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a grade
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — size or range
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — of the year
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — to eat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — for betting
  22. row — to paddle
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. scale — for weighing

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