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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — a contest
  22. land — ground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. race — the arms race

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