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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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