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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — happening now
  4. squash — the sport
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — a group
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — electric
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — completely
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. current — of water
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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