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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — to eat

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