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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — a group
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. band — a music group
  19. file — a line of people
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fan — a supporter

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