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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. object — to protest
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. object — an aim
  24. swing — to play on

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