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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. land — ground
  8. wind — moving air
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — to crush
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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