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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — for betting
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — to confront
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. saw — the 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