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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 · fork · chest · can · chip · bay · stick · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chest — a box

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