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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — to eat
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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