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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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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. band — a music group
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — to wash
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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