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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — a group
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — for golf
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — a thing
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. field — for sport
  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