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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · sharp · land · bear · arm · coach · swing · chip

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — ground
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — in golf
  18. land — to come down
  19. swing — to play on
  20. squash — the sport
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — to put up with

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