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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — in football
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — to handle
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — to bear
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — an agreement

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