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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 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — the sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chip — for betting
  11. row — a line
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. present — a gift
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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