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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. foot — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — to fit
  6. net — in sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. net — for catching
  12. game — a match
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — clothes
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — in cards

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