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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — a hint
  6. game — a match
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. squash — to crush
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — help
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — for pool

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