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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: bark · craft · club · rule · pitch · chip · snap · staff

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. club — a group
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to click
  23. rule — government
  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