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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: game · sharp · jam · rush · suit · chair · club · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. club — a group
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — hurry
  19. game — a match
  20. land — ground
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. club — for golf
  24. suit — in cards

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