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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: pass · mouse · foot · board · sharp · spell · field · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. field — a subject
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. field — farmland
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chip — for betting

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