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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — shares
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — of water

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