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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — a division
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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