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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 120 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: straw · mouse · object · squash · deal · ground · chip · staff

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — for betting
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — the earth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — to handle
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. straw — dry grass

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