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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — a thing
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — for pool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — the time now
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — a gift
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — a series
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. present — there

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