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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — a division
  4. club — for dancing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. last — to go on
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — a group

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