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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lean — thin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — of water
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — to protest
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — for digging
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — the fish
  20. current — electric
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — a supporter

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