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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wake · date · swing · arm · game · tube · chip · stand

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. swing — to play on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — a container
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — to bear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — a trail
  23. swing — in golf
  24. game — a match

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