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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. current — happening now
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — of water
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — to breed

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