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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — in sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. object — a thing
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. row — a line
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — in a race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — a measure
  21. current — electric
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — of the year
  24. pit — a hole

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