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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · roll · club · fork · squash · current · rash · pass

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. fork — in a road
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — a friend
  12. club — for dancing
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — a cake
  15. club — for golf
  16. mate — to breed
  17. club — a group
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. squash — to crush

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