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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a hint
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — in sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. present — there
  11. current — electric
  12. present — the time now
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — in cards
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — the sport

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