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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: chest · deal · craft · chip · mouse · swing

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. craft — boats
  3. swing — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. craft — a skill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. craft — a handicraft

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