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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.

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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: fall · leaves · pit · wake · squash · chip · deal · kick

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wake — a trail
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — in a race
  23. squash — to crush
  24. deal — to handle

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