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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — soda
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — the sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — army training
  24. chip — in a computer

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