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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 116 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. chair — a leader
  7. field — farmland
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — steady
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a music group
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. band — a ring

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