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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — farmland
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. suit — in cards
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — a group

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