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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: lash · chip · court · present · swing · bear · stick · club

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — to play on
  5. club — a group
  6. swing — in golf
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — there
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — the time now
  24. chip — for betting

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