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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — a gift
  13. chip — to eat
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — there
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — after costs

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