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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — for golf
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. land — to come down
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. land — a country
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — the animal

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