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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to spend time

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