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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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