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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — help
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a lid
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — in cards
  17. track — a path
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — a song
  24. chip — to eat

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