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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — to bear
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — a country

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