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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chest — a box
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a great time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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