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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. current — electric
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — of water
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — to tire
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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