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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 · pitcher · mine · key · chip · stand · drill · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — an explosive

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