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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — help
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — the tool
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — army training
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — to bear

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