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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — in control
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. net — in sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — a price
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — a group
  23. cold — not warm
  24. net — for catching

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