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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. object — a thing
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — electricity
  13. band — a music group
  14. game — a match
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — wild animals
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — an aim
  22. charge — in control
  23. rock — to move gently
  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