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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — to cool the air

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