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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a tool

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