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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — electric
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. drill — army training

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