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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. snap — to click
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — to breed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — low music
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for dancing
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bass — the fish
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — a short time

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