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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — a leader

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