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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — a coil
  11. content — the amount
  12. spring — the season
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chest — a box
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ball — a dance
  21. content — happy
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spring — of water

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