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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kick — in football
  7. suit — clothes
  8. current — happening now
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — to fit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. squash — to crush
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. suit — in cards

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