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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — for golf
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — an aim

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