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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · sharp · mug · mate · bat · racket · board · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — to eat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mug — to rob
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — to breed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — a committee
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — a measure
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a cup

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