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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a list
  7. file — a document
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — soda
  15. current — electric
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — of water
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — the cause
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. squash — the sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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