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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — for sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — a gift
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — clever
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. court — of a king

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