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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: shower · spring · pit · bulb · fan · current · bear · can

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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