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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — in control
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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