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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chip — for betting
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  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