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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — happy
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — in golf
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — for a computer

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