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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. court — of a king
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — music
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — a stone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. drill — army training
  11. chip — for betting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. pit — in a race
  15. firm — a company
  16. drill — a practice
  17. court — for sport
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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