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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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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: rest · swing · sharp · chip · key · mark · drill · craft

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a grade
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — a trace
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — a break
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — a practice

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