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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — electric
  3. kid — to tease
  4. firm — decided
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kid — child
  7. firm — steady
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stand — to bear

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