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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — humankind
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — a contest

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