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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — in football
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. club — for golf
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — certain
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. club — a group
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. band — a music group

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