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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — for betting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — a price
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. date — the fruit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. scale — for weighing

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