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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 120 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 · swing · bark · band · cap · squash · trunk · racket

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a music group
  15. swing — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. swing — to play on
  23. band — a ring
  24. bark — to shout

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