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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. chip — to eat
  15. swing — to play on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — music

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