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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: bound · sharp · foot · deal · rest · land · pit · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — a break
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bound — certain
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — tied together
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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