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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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