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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. file — a document
  24. hand — help

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