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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: bat · racket · bowl · swing · content · chip · stick · mug

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — in golf
  24. content — the amount

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