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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — a group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — a stick

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