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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tube — a container
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — the underground

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