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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rule — government
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — happy
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — clever

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