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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. present — the time now
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — to cool the air

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