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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. clip — for paper
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — a break
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — all right
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. current — of water

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