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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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468
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — a group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to click
  11. march — the month
  12. club — for dancing
  13. object — a thing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chip — to eat
  18. club — for golf
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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