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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a face
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. capital — a city
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — money
  24. scale — in music

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