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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — a stick
  17. swing — in golf
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. content — happy

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