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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. row — a line
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — for betting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fan — a supporter

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