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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chip — to eat
  16. branch — a division
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — a law

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