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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. march — music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. current — of water
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — electric

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