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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — decided
  9. current — electric
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. firm — steady
  20. current — happening now
  21. court — of law
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — a company
  24. arm — part of the body

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