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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fall — the season
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — happening now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — a country
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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