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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — a position
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — happening now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — a tin

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