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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spring — a coil
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. pop — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. current — of water
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — soda
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spring — the season

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