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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a music group
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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