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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. charge — in control
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — in cards
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lean — thin
  19. hand — help
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — a jug

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