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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: date · wound · swing · stem · chip · foot · bay · suit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. swing — music
  24. wound — an injury

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