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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. row — to paddle
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — to lash out

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