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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: kid · dip · fork · stand · squash · deal · mouse · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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