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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. firm — decided
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mug — a face
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — a company
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a list
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — on your feet

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