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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fork — in a road
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. roll — a list
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — the tool

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