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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 116 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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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: key · dip · deal · chip · bowl · chair · club · prune

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chair — a leader
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — to handle

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