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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bulb — of a plant

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