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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitch — completely
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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