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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: pitcher · toast · foot · stick · wound · chip · rest · swing

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chip — for betting
  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