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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 112 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
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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 · mouse · ruler · mug · fall · current · ball · march

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a dance
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — electric
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — a face

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