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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — certain

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