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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · chip · spell · fall · current · mate · club · net

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. net — in sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a friend
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — magic
  20. fall — the season
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a partner
  23. club — for golf
  24. current — of water

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