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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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 vegetable
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — goods
  4. file — a document
  5. current — of water
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — shares
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. file — a tool
  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