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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — in cards
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — for catching
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — after costs
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. net — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — high quality

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