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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cue — for pool
  8. last — to go on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. swing — music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — final
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chip — for betting

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