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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. board — a committee
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spell — magic
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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