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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — hurry
  15. toast — bread
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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