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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — a break
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — happening now
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. kid — child
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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