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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wound — an injury
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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