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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: hide · trunk · chest · stand · chip · swing · pit · ruler

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chest — of your body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — to bear
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chest — a box
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hide — animal skin

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