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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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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 · cap · rule · last · kid · chip · foot · board

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cap — of ice
  10. last — finally
  11. chip — to eat
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a hat
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cap — a lid

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