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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. club — for golf
  4. fall — the season
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. root — the cause
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — to go away

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