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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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 — a supporter
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — for money
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — tied together
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — completely
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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