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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — the cause
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — the sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. current — happening now
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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