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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 120 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: wake · club · mate · mark · hand · chip · season · rock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a partner

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