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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  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