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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. band — a music group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — to visit

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