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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — to handle
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — electric
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bark — to shout
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tube — a container
  23. club — a group
  24. current — happening now

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