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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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Word bank
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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 · suit · bulb · board · cold · staff · file · chip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. file — a document
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — an illness
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. suit — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. board — to get on
  21. cold — not warm
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a tool

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