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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — all right
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — in a road
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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