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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — clothes
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

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