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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · date · swing · craft · pound · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — boats
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — a skill

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