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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: chip · racket · straw · mine · ruler · cap · swing · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chip — to eat
  24. racket — a loud noise

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