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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — the season
  7. current — electric
  8. wax — to grow
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — happening now
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. field — for sport
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — a subject
  24. fork — to eat with

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