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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fine — high quality
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. club — a group
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — there
  23. cold — an illness
  24. leaves — of a tree

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