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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 · ruler · straw · suit · arm · scale · chip · content

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chip — to eat
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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