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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. squash — to crush
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — a group
  5. roll — a list
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — ground
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — a country
  15. club — for golf
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. club — for dancing
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — shares
  24. land — to come down

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