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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — help
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for golf
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — hurry
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hand — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chip — to eat
  24. degree — from a university

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