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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: field · sharp · chip · wound · mouse · snap · ruler · rock

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. field — a subject
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wound — an injury
  16. field — for sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — music

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