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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. current — electric
  8. scale — in music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — a stick
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. march — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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