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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: face · bowl · mug · swing · chip · squash · bank · fork

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mug — a cup
  3. swing — in golf
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bank — of a river
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a face
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — to crush
  24. swing — to play on

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