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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — government
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pit — in a race

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