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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — letters
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — a short time
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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