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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: mug · chip · present · fork · game · squash · spring · snap

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fork — in a road
  3. present — there
  4. mug — to rob
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — the time now
  8. spring — of water
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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