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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — a list
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chip — to eat
  11. roll — a cake
  12. squash — the sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. scale — in music
  24. toast — bread

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