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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of law
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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