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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. march — music
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — in cards
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. track — a song

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