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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pop — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — of law
  12. key — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pop — soda
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — to hurry

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