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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. court — for sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — bread
  17. chip — for betting
  18. toast — the most admired

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