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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: chip · bore · deal · current · wake · bear · field · squash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. field — farmland
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — a subject
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. current — of water

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