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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — to go away

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