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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. current — electric

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