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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. squash — to crush
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rash — hasty
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a match
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — wild animals
  20. squash — the sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a friend

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