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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. current — happening now
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a professorship

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