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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: last · ruler · content · squash · prune · chip · fan · mark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — final
  24. content — the amount

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