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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. degree — from a university
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — to get on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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