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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — a song
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — for catching
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — size or range
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — a practice
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — after costs

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