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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — a weight
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — the animal

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