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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.

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 · mine · fine · jam · wave · stock · board

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a committee
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — goods
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — a flat piece

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