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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. can — to be able to
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — in golf
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — a tin

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