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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — to come down
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — a country
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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