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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. club — a group
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. club — for golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. race — a contest
  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