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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — help
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — a position
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. track — a song
  24. ground — the earth

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