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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — a hint
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. vault — a safe

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