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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — rain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — soda
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — completely
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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