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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. field — farmland
  6. board — a committee
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. field — for sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — to get on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fine — all right
  24. club — a group

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