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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — completely
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cue — a hint

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