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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — electric
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. current — of water
  7. ball — a dance
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. drill — army training
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — to bear

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