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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — wild animals

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