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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. track — to keep track
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — happy
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — a trail
  18. club — a group
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — for dancing
  22. roll — a list
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — the amount

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