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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: chip · fine · ground · mate · club · straw · wound · rock

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — for golf
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fine — all right
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — a straw man

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