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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chest — of your body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chest — a box
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. race — humankind

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