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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. swing — music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — the season
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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