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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 124 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — hasty
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ball — a dance

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