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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chip — for betting
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — the instrument

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