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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — to come down
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pop — music
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — bread
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pop — soda
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a leader
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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