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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 · chest · fork · club · coach · hide · chip · squash

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — for betting
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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