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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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 — the sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — all right
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. roll — a list
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a cake
  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