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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. shower — rain
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — of water
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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