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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. march — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — for betting
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lean — to bend

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