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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. last — final
  7. net — after costs
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a path
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — to go on
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — a song
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — in a computer

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