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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — happening now
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for dancing

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