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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — a price
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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