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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — for betting
  10. drill — a practice
  11. capital — a city
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — army training
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — the sport

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