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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. field — farmland
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — in football
  12. race — humankind
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — electric
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — of water
  18. field — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — to crush

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