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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — of a word
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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