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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: chair · tear · chip · mug · snap · net · suit · swing

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — in golf
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a cup
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — a face
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tear — to rip

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