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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: swing · field · stock · squash · suit · chip · kid · rest

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — child
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. swing — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — a subject
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — farmland

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