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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — army training
  9. season — of the year
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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