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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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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 · wave · present · sharp · ball · band · chip · stick

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. band — a music group
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — there
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — the time now
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a dance
  24. band — a rubber band

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