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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. field — a subject
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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