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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — to get on
  7. march — music
  8. hand — help
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rule — government
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — to cool the air

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