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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 · tube · rule · bay · swing · kick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — government
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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