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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: sharp · chip · present · game · deal · fine · saw · straw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — there
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — dry grass

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