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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — electric
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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