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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: racket · chip · snap · swing · foot · rash · cap · prune

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rash — a series
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — to play on
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — music
  24. rash — hasty

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