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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. court — of law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — to bear
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. game — a match
  23. current — electric
  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