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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chip — for betting
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — for sport
  24. squash — the sport

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