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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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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 · bore · face · suit · current · straw · club · pit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. face — to confront
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — for golf
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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