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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. game — a match
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chip — for betting
  16. key — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. row — to paddle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — to eat
  24. row — a line

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