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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chip — to eat
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — a break
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — what's left

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