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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: cue · chip · object · snap · trunk · club · face · pitcher

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — for golf
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — for dancing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — part of the head
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — a signal
  21. face — to confront
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — an aim

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