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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — electric
  17. kid — child
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chair — a leader
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pound — a weight
  24. dip — to dunk

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