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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. current — of water
  22. pop — soda
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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