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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — of water
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cap — a hat
  18. last — finally
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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