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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cell — in biology
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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