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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for dancing
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a tool

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