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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 · bear · cap · ball · fork · face · straw · chip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a hat
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to confront
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fork — to eat with

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