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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chip — to eat
  3. land — ground
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chip — for betting
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — a country
  18. club — a group

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