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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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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: rash · swing · lie · club · game · bulb · chip · mark

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — music

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