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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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