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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — electric
  6. march — the month
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. march — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — of the leg

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