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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — music
  6. march — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — to eat
  12. root — of a word
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — the month
  24. swing — in golf

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