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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a great time

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