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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a music group
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a line of people
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rule — a law
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rule — government
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — to rule out

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