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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 124 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kid — child
  3. club — for dancing
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — army training
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — a group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a committee

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