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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — farmland
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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