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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — a series
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chip — for betting
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rash — hasty

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