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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 · straw · fan · present · rock · wake · chip · root

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — the time now
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. club — a group
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. root — of a word

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