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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spring — the season
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. board — a committee
  14. chip — to eat
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chip — in a computer

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