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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rule — a law
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — in music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — government
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. current — happening now

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