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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
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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 · mug · toast · spell · firm · chip · tear · game

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. firm — decided
  2. toast — bread
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — a cup
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tear — to rip
  12. game — a match
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tear — from crying
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. firm — steady
  21. club — a group
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — a face
  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