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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · lash · rule · chip · key · pass · stick · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rule — a law
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rule — government
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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