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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — bread
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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