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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 · pass · bay · snap · chip · wind · arm · bark

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pass — a permit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — to eat
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — of a tree

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