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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — a price
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — a subject
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — 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