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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: mate · sharp · chip · object · craft · ground · net · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — a friend
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — boats
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — a thing
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — to protest
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — crushed
  22. net — after costs
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ground — the earth

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