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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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: swing · mug · wind · chip · game · tube · racket · leaves

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — a match
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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