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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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. bound — tied together
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bound — certain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — of a river
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chip — for betting
  24. plane — a tool

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