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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. degree — an amount
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — of ice
  9. degree — from a university
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cap — a lid
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. degree — temperature
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — to point toward

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