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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: mark · nail · swing · content · bay · deal · chip · wind

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. content — happy
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — music
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — in a computer

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