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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. spring — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — a coil

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