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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. fall — the season
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — a position
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — electric
  19. squash — to crush
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fall — to drop

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