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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · current · rock · march · pitch · straw

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. current — happening now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter

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