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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — a subject
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — a face
  10. field — farmland
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — a committee
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cap — of ice

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