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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. deal — an agreement

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