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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. capital — money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — of water
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. race — a contest
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — final
  12. current — happening now
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. last — finally
  16. race — humankind
  17. suit — in cards
  18. race — the arms race
  19. capital — a city
  20. spring — a coil
  21. suit — clothes
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. current — electric
  24. jam — in traffic

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