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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — a permit
  4. field — a subject
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. firm — steady
  11. field — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — farmland
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. staff — employees

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