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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. charge — in control
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a professorship

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