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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: squash · wound · present · fine · ball · current · staff · cap

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — happening now
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — the time now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — to crush
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — there
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — electric
  19. cap — a lid
  20. squash — the sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a round shape

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