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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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 — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — the animal
  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