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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: sharp · can · pit · chip · spring · kid · wake · saw

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kid — child
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — a coil
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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