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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — army training
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — to get on
  10. toast — bread
  11. court — of law
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — a committee
  24. coach — a trainer

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