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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — the month
  19. root — of a word
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. root — the cause
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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