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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — the most important part
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — for digging
  13. key — for a lock
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — farmland
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — a subject
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. field — for sport

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