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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: pop · squash · file · wound · stand · key · can · chip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  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