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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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