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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — electric
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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