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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. march — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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