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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rock — a stone
  24. sharp — exactly

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