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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · leaves · swing · game · fan · sharp · chip · pit

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chip — for betting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a match
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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