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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitch — completely

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