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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: cap · arm · fork · swing · pit · can · present · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — to be able to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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