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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — electric
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — happening now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. root — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ball — a dance

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