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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. game — a match
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — for golf
  5. track — a path
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — clothes
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — the tool
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — army training
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. sharp — with an edge

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