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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — to fit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — in sport
  15. swing — to play on
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. swing — music
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — clever

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