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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bass — low music
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. present — the time now
  21. date — the fruit
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — there

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