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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. scale — size or range
  5. land — a country
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. land — ground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — rain
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the sport
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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