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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. track — a path
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — steady
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — a series
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — a stick

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