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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — in football
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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