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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cap — a hat
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a match
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. fork — in a road

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