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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: chip · pass · sharp · rest · mark · bound · rash · game

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chip — to eat
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pass — to succeed

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