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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: date · kid · pass · roll · rest · club · can · chip

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — for golf
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kid — child
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rest — a break
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — a list
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. club — a group
  24. pass — a permit

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