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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — happening now
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — of water
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — electric
  17. season — of the year
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. squash — to crush

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