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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
468
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: stick · stand · cap · scale · fan · rash · current · mate

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — to bear
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. current — happening now
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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