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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — humankind
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — a contest
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for dancing
  12. perch — the fish
  13. land — ground
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — the arms race
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — of water
  21. land — to come down
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. fork — to eat with

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