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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — of water
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — goods
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — a price
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — happening now
  24. bowl — a dish

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