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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a great time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — happening now
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — in music
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — the vegetable

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