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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — electric
  6. game — a match
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — in sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. pop — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pop — soda
  24. field — farmland

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