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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rule — a law
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — government
  14. present — a gift
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — there
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — a supporter

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