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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — to crush
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ground — a position
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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