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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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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear

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