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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — a list
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for dancing
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — a video
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — obliged

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