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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: squash · net · cabinet · date · root · wound · pop · chip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — for catching
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. root — the cause
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. date — the fruit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — music

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