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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — after costs
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. spell — letters
  15. squash — to crush
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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