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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — steady
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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