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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: foot · pop · chip · swing · rock · firm · present · game

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — decided
  4. rock — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — in golf
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — to play on
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — for betting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — a gift
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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