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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — bread
  6. track — a song
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — a football final

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