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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wake — a trail
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — a city
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — letters
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pass — a permit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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