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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. current — electric

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