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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — a container
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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