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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — happening now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — of water
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — to push
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. game — a match
  20. capital — a city
  21. press — a publisher
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. capital — money

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