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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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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: net · game · swing · chip · foot · lie · wind · key

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — a measure
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a match
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — to recline

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