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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: chip · swing · present · mouse · degree · club · chest · fine

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — a gift
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — a group
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. present — there
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — a penalty

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