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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: current · cap · fan · kid · charge · bay · swing · craft

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — in control
  13. craft — boats
  14. swing — to play on
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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