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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: cap · current · field · toast · fan · calf · chip · shower

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. field — farmland
  12. chip — for betting
  13. toast — bread
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. field — a subject
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — happening now
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. field — for 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