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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: club · hand · bowl · chip · straw · current · chair · suit

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. club — a group
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. club — for dancing
  23. suit — clothes
  24. club — for golf

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