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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. drill — a practice
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rash — a series
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — a sauce

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