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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: snap · racket · present · chip · degree · swing · bound · pitch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. present — there
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — from a university
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — temperature
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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