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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. band — a ring
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a music group
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — hasty

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