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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — a company
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a ring
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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