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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a path
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — to keep track
  11. race — humankind
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — a container
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a song
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — a contest
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fine — all right

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