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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — a position
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a match
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — a stick

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