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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · field · rush · kick · bay · bark · can · chip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — to shout
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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