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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — a match
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a document
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. swing — to play on

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