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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — for golf
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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