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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. club — a group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for golf
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. coach — a trainer

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