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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: fall · suit · net · chip · wound · fork · deal · squash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — after costs
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — in a road
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — for catching
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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