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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — a lid
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — a cup

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