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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. current — electric

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