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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: rest · net · squash · wave · game · chip · dip · deal

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to sink
  24. net — for catching

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