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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: fine · cue · chip · sharp · wind · stick · spell · mark

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — a short time

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