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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — to eat
  23. can — to be able to
  24. present — there

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