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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: pit · cap · swing · mouse · chip · straw · spell · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — magic
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spell — letters
  24. mouse — the animal

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