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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: racket · chip · club · wake · squash · lie · wave · ruler

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — a group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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