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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — a list
  11. press — a publisher
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. march — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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