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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 116 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: game · mug · ruler · shower · fan · current · cabinet · scale

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — in music
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — rain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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