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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. can — to be able to

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