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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — of your body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — a box
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stock — shares
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — to eat

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