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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tear — from crying
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pit — in a race
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cue — for pool
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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