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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — of ice
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — there
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a hat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — a soup base

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