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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. club — a group
  2. pop — soda
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for golf
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — for betting
  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