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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — a weight
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. leaves — to go away

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