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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — in music
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. sharp — clever
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — a measure
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. craft — boats
  20. scale — size or range
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fork — a garden tool

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