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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — in golf
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — a division
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — for sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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