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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: ruler · wind · swing · sharp · ball · chip · prune · dip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — to eat
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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