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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · toast · squash · stick · deal · chip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — bread
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — for betting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — to handle
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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