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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. hand — help
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — in cards
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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