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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. chair — a leader
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — a football final

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