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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. suit — clothes
  19. clip — a video
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. club — for golf
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. suit — to fit

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