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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a hole

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