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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mug — a face
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — to rob

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