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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · ruler · squash · cold · chip · fine · dip · march

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fine — all right
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cold — not warm
  10. march — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — for betting

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