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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: saw · date · safe · chip · sharp · trunk · capital · hand

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hand — help
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hand — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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