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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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. current — of water
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. current — happening now
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — a position
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — a group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — electric
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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