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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: fan · current · toast · chip · board · bulb · court · fall

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — of a king
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a committee
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fall — the season
  18. board — to get on
  19. court — of law
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — of water
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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