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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — electric
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — of water
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — the arms race
  21. squash — to crush
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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