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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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 — to visit
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. track — a song
  10. pop — music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — a path
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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