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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 · sharp · deal · cap · pop · staff · chip · mug

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — the sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a hat
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — to crush
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mug — to rob
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. sharp — clever
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — soda
  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