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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mug — a face
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — a cup
  8. firm — decided
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — crushed
  18. firm — a company
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — for betting

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