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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cap — a hat
  4. current — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — a division
  12. scale — size or range
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. cap — a lid
  22. content — the amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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