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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cue — a signal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. club — a group
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — to put up with

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