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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 124 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: game · coach · chip · ruler · sharp · wound · season · staff

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. staff — employees
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — of the year
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. game — a match

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