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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — electric
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — for sport
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — to protest
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — of law
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. object — a thing
  21. deal — to handle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — to roll

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