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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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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: roll · lie · pop · fine · row · chip · swing · squash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. swing — music
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. roll — a list
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lie — to recline

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