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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — for golf
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. deal — to handle
  16. race — humankind
  17. rash — a series
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — for betting

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