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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. swing — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. firm — a company
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. swing — to play on
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — decided
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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