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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — final
  6. track — to keep track
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. last — to go on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — for dancing

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