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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — soda
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — in a computer

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