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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. clip — for paper
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the air

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