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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. club — a group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — for betting

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