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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — to eat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — after costs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — a short time
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — a group
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — a price
  24. chip — in a computer

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