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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — rain
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bay — a horse colour

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