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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mine — for digging

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