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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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. drill — a practice
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — the arms race
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — humankind
  22. board — a committee
  23. drill — army training
  24. band — a music group

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