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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rest — a break
  10. march — music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — size or range
  19. march — the month
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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