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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: squash · toast · chip · field · snap · foot · suit · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — a measure
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — clothes
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. swing — to play on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — to fit

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