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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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Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — the time now
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — humankind
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — of water
  11. present — there
  12. spell — a short time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — a group
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the vegetable

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