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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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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: bulb · squash · current · spell · cell · ground · mouse · mark

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — a position
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — electric
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — of water
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cell — a phone

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