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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: tube · pass · cold · stick · fan · net · mug · current

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. current — happening now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cold — not warm
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — a face
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. current — of water
  24. net — in sport

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