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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. firm — a company
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. last — to go on
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. key — in music
  15. charge — in control
  16. club — for golf
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. club — a group
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. firm — steady

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