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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
468
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 · fan · chip · cabinet · object · cap · swing · racket

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chip — to eat
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — to play on

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