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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spell — magic
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — steady
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — letters
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — decided
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — for betting
  24. scale — in music

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