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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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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 · squash · chest · ruler · stick · perch · dip · pit

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — a sauce

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