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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — to bear
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. court — of law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of a king
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — for sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — on your feet

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