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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a document
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — not warm
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rule — government
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. object — a thing

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