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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — electric
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — of water
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. game — a kind of play

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