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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pit — a hole
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for golf
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. club — a group
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to click

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