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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. current — electric
  18. board — to get on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — the animal

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