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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. march — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — for money
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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