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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — a group
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. firm — a company
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. firm — steady
  14. club — for golf
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — to eat
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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