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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. court — of law
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — to push
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bank — of a river

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