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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — on a finger

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