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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — soda
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — a hat
  18. file — a tool
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a partner
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — the vegetable

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