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

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — of a king
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — final
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rash — a series
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of law
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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