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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — to fit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. game — wild animals
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — clothes

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