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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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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: sharp · spring · arm · leaves · chip · pitcher · bank · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. swing — to play on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spring — a coil
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bank — of a river
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. swing — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. arm — part of the body

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