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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bat — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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