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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. season — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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