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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — of ice
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — a price
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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