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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — of water
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. current — happening now
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — government
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — electric
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — a song
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the sport

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