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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — a cup
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mug — a face
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — after costs

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