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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — a position
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — electric
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. current — happening now

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