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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rule — government
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a path
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — a match

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