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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — in a road
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bay — a horse colour

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