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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — of law

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