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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — low music
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — a series

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