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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · swing · track · fan · chair · hide · game · trunk

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chair — a leader
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. swing — music
  12. track — a song
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. game — a match

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