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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cap — a lid
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — a hat
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — of ice
  24. game — wild animals

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