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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: land · cap · net · safe · current · fan · press · object

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — to protest
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. object — an aim
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — a country
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. net — after costs
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — a thing
  24. cap — a lid

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