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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — finally
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pit — a hole
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — to go on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. date — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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