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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — to play on
  8. current — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — electric
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — in golf
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a committee
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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