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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — happening now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — goods
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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