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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: game · drill · key · sharp · suit · kid · chip · racket

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — in music
  8. game — a match
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — clothes
  17. drill — army training
  18. kid — to tease
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kid — child
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. suit — in cards

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