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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — happening now
  9. band — a music group
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a ring
  20. field — for sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — electric
  24. field — a subject

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