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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cold — the Cold War

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