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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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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 · ground · swing · chip · firm · mouse · trunk · arm

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — to crush
  6. firm — decided
  7. ground — the earth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. firm — steady
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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