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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.

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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: squash · pop · calf · chip · nail · band · ruler · ground

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ground — a position
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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