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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — a cake
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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