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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — the sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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