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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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Word bank
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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — a thrill

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