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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: mate · squash · sharp · spell · bass · chip · board · saw

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — magic
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. board — to get on
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — a short time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a committee
  24. sharp — exactly

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