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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — a measure
  14. capital — money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a city
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — a straw man

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