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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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Word bank
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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — humankind
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. toast — bread
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. capital — money
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bowl — a football final

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