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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to sink
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — in sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. squash — to crush
  24. arm — part of the body

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