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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cap — of ice
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — to crush
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — a trainer

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