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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — a country
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — to visit
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — to come down
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — electric
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pop — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — happening now
  19. suit — clothes
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wound — an injury

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