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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: swing · fork · chip · leaves · net · cap · stem · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. mug — a face
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — to rob
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — in a road
  12. net — after costs
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — a hat
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — to come from
  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