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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — for betting
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — exactly

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