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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — happening now
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. staff — employees

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