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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: present · stick · mouse · pit · current · squash · foot · roll

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — happening now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — a cake
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — of water
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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