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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. capital — money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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