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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — to crush
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to click
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — the sport

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