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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. chest — a box

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