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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 116 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 · chip · pop · mark · march · cell · rule · rock

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — a law
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rule — government
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. march — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mark — a trace

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