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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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 — the sport
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — of water
  7. object — a thing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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