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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — ground
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. object — a thing
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — a box
  13. fall — the season
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. land — a country
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — to protest
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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