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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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Word bank
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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: bank · chair · leaves · stick · ground · season · chip · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. season — in sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — the earth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — in a computer

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