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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — a break
  17. chest — a box
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — happening now

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