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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — the fish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. row — to paddle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — bread
  23. row — a line
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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