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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: swing · chip · pit · sharp · ball · saw · pop · lash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. ball — a great time

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