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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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