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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. land — a country
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — in a computer

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