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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. suit — in cards
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. file — a tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. file — a document
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — to visit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a line of people
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — soda

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