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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — in a race
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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