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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — for betting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mate — to breed
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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