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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.

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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: board · spell · land · wake · sharp · bear · club · chip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — letters
  11. land — a country
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — a trail
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — a group
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — the animal

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