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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — of water
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. race — humankind
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — a contest
  22. current — electric
  23. race — the arms race
  24. file — a document

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