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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. board — a committee
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a document
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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