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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. current — electric
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. stand — for spectators

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