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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: sharp · chip · bat · nail · kick · stock · swing · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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