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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. swing — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — in golf
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — ground

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