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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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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: club · snap · root · cell · arm · rest · chip · charge

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — for golf
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cell — a phone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — a break
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — a price
  24. arm — part of the body

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