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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: nail · stand · ball · chip · ground · sharp · perch · fine

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ground — the earth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — a position
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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