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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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