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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: club · kid · pass · last · tube · chip · wave · mate

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — finally
  10. mate — to breed
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — a group
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — final
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chip — to eat

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