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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — for betting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — a thing
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  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