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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a face
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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