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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bowl — a dish

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