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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bank — of a river
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a great time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — to cool the air

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