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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pop — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fall — the season
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — high quality

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