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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — the season
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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