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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. squash — the sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mark — a trace
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — electric
  18. mark — a grade
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — to crush
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — a series

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