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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rash — a series
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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