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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: chip · rock · snap · stick · ball · kick · club · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rock — music
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — for betting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for golf
  24. rock — a stone

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