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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — a lid
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — to crush
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a great time

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