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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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