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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: sharp · club · roll · court · squash · rock · chip · deal

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. club — a group
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — a stone
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for dancing
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. court — for sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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