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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. land — a country
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — ground
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pop — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — to bear

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