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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret

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