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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — part of the head
  23. object — an aim
  24. bowl — a dish

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