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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — low music

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