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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. current — of water
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. object — a thing
  6. kid — child
  7. track — a path
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — electric
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — the sport
  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