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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — farmland
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — a line
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — to fit
  18. field — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a list
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — on a roll

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