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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — a gift
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. present — the time now
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. present — there
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. club — for golf
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — a box
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — to shout

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