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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: pit · chip · swing · row · game · stand · lash · ruler

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a line
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. game — wild animals
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — a hole
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. swing — music

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