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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.

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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: snap · swing · current · temple · chip · cap · bowl · kid

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kid — child
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — to eat
  19. snap — to click
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — to play on
  24. kid — to tease

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