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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — of water
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — to come down
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. land — a country

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