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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. present — a gift
  5. craft — boats
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rash — hasty
  13. present — the time now
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — there
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — a series
  21. craft — a skill
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — tied together
  24. land — to come down

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