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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — for betting
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. squash — the sport
  12. file — a document
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spell — letters
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — a trace

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