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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — finally
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — final
  18. current — electric
  19. last — to go on
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — a loud noise

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