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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · mug · chip · squash · root · firm · bear · can

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. mug — a face
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — steady
  13. root — of a word
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — decided
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — not warm
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. can — to be able to

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