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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — farmland
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — crushed
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. ground — the earth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — in cards

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