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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — a country
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. rest — what's left

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