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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. current — electric
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spell — a short time
  24. game — wild animals

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