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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: swing · coach · deal · snap · stand · rush · chip · bat

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — an agreement

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