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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.

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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: tube · fan · march · stand · deal · safe · pop · current

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. march — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — the month

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