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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — thin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fine — all right
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. squash — the vegetable

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