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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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