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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 · stick · mark · perch · chip · snap · kid · wake

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — a grade

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