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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — ground
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — a line
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — to crush
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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