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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — for betting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rule — a law
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — to trim

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