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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: bay · spell · chip · bat · swing · rest · court · bound

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spell — magic
  8. chip — to eat
  9. court — for sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — a break
  16. bat — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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