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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a document
  8. spring — of water
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — size or range
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — in cards
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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