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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: season · squash · mate · cue · chip · wind · pit · stick

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — of the year
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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