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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — in music
  24. fork — in a road

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