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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. land — a country
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. deal — to handle
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — ground

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