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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — a match
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — high quality
  16. season — in sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — all right

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