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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 120 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: dip · suit · game · tube · kick · club · mug · chip

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — a container
  7. suit — to fit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — to dunk

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