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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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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: chip · wake · ground · can · lash · coach · firm · club

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. club — for dancing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ground — crushed
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — decided
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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