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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 116 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 · chip · suit · sharp · bound · snap · kid · net

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — in sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. suit — to fit
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — after costs
  15. bound — certain
  16. kid — child
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — obliged

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