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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — of water
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — a contest
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — electric
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. current — happening now

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