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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: stick · mine · club · deal · bass · chip · spell · mark

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — low music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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