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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for golf
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. pop — soda
  11. fine — all right
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pop — music
  23. club — a group
  24. wound — an injury

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