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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — in music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — in cards
  21. root — the cause
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. suit — to fit

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