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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: fine · bowl · firm · season · fan · current · file · stem

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — of water
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — electric
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — all right
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — to come from

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