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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — to rip
  9. court — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. field — farmland
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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