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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — electric
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitch — completely
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. object — an aim

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