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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. current — electric
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mug — to rob
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mug — a face
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — lets stay

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