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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — to visit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — happening now
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spell — magic
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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